


*How the Avengers get a Therapist*

by apageinthisbook



Series: My MCU AU [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-01-14 20:51:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18484120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apageinthisbook/pseuds/apageinthisbook
Summary: *First in my MCU AU. This story sets the basis for any other Marvel stories I will write.*Bruce Banner was always afraid of the Hulk, therefore everyone else is too. But he doesn't want help. He doesn't deserve help.Enter Dakota, a 16-year-old with no family, no home, and a big heart.And no matter what he says, she's not letting go of him.The lost have to stick together, after all.Or How Bruce gained a niece, Dakota found a home, and the Avengers found a therapist who might actually be able to handle their problems.*Civil War was handled like adults* *Peter Parker is part of the Famvengers*





	1. Not a Monster

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, my dudes. This is my first time posting fanfiction! I promise it gets better from here. I hope to post once a week. Anyway, on with it. Enjoy, R&R, and stick it out till the end.   
> .  
> .  
> .  
> and please come back.

It started off as a normal day for Dakota. She had stayed at Ivy’s house, woken up, gone to school at Midtown Academy of Literature and Arts, where she studied writing and dance. She held dance practice, had gone to work, her ninja kids had been good (relatively speaking), and was just closing up when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. 

No. Not something. Someone. 

A figure was hunched against the side of the building, curled in on him(her?)self. Dakota sighed. Walking up to the door, she pushed it open and called to them. He looked up. Dakota called again.

“Hey bud, whatcha doing?”

The man looked confused, as though he expected those words to come across meaner. Looking at the state of his messy greying hair and the tattered clothes, he looked like he could use something warm and some hot food. And a friend. 

“Come inside.” It was not a suggestion.

The man looked hesitant before pushing himself up and glancing warily at her as he walked through the open door to the warmth within. 

Dakota followed the man back inside, letting the door swing closed behind her. She brushed past the man, who was standing as close to the wall as he could get and walked to the parent's section. Dakota looked back at the man and sighed. 

“I don’t bite, you know. Come sit down.”

They had an impromptu staring contest which Dakota won after bringing out the Mom Look™. The man - she really needed to know his name - sat stiffly on the edge of the couch, but relaxed slightly when she gave him another Look. Dakota turned to walk upstairs, but paused and turned around. 

“You will be there when I get back.”

The man nodded. Satisfied, Dakota walked upstairs and quickly grabbed the leftover pizza and a couple of water bottles. She reheated a couple of pieces before heading back downstairs. The man was still there. She handed him a water bottle, which he accepted gratefully - albeit skeptically - before handing him the plate of reheated pizza. 

“You have a name?” Dakota asked as she set the pizza box and extra water bottles on the table. The man remained silent. He almost looked ashamed. Like she would hate him and kick him out. She sighed again.

“I’m not going to kick you out because of your name. You could be Al Capone or Jack the Ripper and I wouldn’t care. Besides that’s not how it works, I fed you, you can’t kill me.” She laughed a little. The man chuckled but didn’t offer anything else. 

“Dakota,” Dakota offered, “Dakota States. Most people call me Kody.”

The man finished the last of his slice of pizza. The silence was almost deafening.

“Bruce.” He coughed, “Um, Bruce Banner.”

Kody smiled, “See, was that so hard? Nice to meet you, Bruce. Want to tell me why you think I’m going to kick you out?”

“How- uh - h-how did-d…”

“How did I know you're scared of your own name? Simple, I’m good at reading people.”

“I’m a monster.”

“Really? You seem perfectly fine to me.”

“You really don’t know who I am?”

“You’re Bruce Banner, a renowned scientist who specializes in Gamma Radiation. Your alter-ego is the Hulk, the big, mean, green embodiment of anger. I know who you are.”

Bruce looked confused. “Why aren’t you…”

“Scared, running for the hills, kicking you out?”

He swallowed, “Uh, yeah.”

“Because there’s nothing to be scared of.”

“Yes, there is, I’m dangerous. A monster, a -”

Dakota cut him off before he could continue. “Did you ever read Harry Potter?”

Bruce looked at her incredulously, “What?”

“Did you ever read Harry Potter?” Kody asked again.

“What does that have to do with anything? But yes, I did.”

Kody ignored the question, “Is Remus Lupin a monster?”

Bruce still looked a mix of skeptical and confused, but he played along, “No.”

“Really, why not?”

“Because it’s not his fault he is a werewolf. And he only turns into one once a month! Other than that, he’s a normal guy.”

“Is he? Because if you apply logic, he should be shamed, called a monster, hate himself, and reject all help because of something he has very little control over.”

Bruce objected, “Of course not. Just because he has a little problem doesn’t mean he should reject help or-or hate himself! He deserves to be loved, a-and helped, and accepted-”

Bruce cut off, realization dawning on his face. Dakota smiled with praise and understanding in her eyes. 

“No, no, nonono. This is different,” Bruce stated, “This is completely different!”

“How?” Was all she said. 

“I-i-i… Urg! It just is!”

“Not good enough.”

“I don’t have control!” Bruce shouted before slumping on to the couch, head in his hands. “I don’t have control, and there’s always the chance I could hulk-out and hurt someone, and I can’t stop it. We’re always fighting, Hulk and I, always, and I’m losing more and more, and I’m just tired.”

With the rant finished, Bruce buried his head in his arms, tensed, waiting for the explosion. When none came he looked up, expecting to see fear, disgust, hatred. But he saw none. Dakota was just sitting there, staring at him, her eyes a mix of emotion: curiosity, understanding, sadness, exasperation. But no fear, no disgust, no hatred, not even pity. Bruce was confused. They continued to look at each other. 

Finally, Bruce spoke, his voice cutting the silence like a knife, “Why aren’t you afraid?”

Kody turned her head to the side and smiled. “Do you want me to be?”

Bruce looked at her. He didn’t want her to be afraid of him, but he didn’t know what to make of her. Suddenly she spoke. 

“I’m guessing you’ve never been to a therapist?”

That came out of nowhere, “No, what therapist would take me. Or could help me.” He paused, “You going to be my therapist now?” He was only half-joking.

“No.” The answer was simple. “I’m something better. I’m a Mom Friend™.”

Bruce still looked confused. 

Kody sighed, “Lay down on the couch.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

Bruce complied. Kody remained silent for a minute.


	2. Dakota's Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey dudes. I'm back. Thank you for coming back. This chapter is short, so I'm going to try and get another one up tonight. Fingers crossed. Anyway, on to the chapter. R&R, please.

“…My family died several years ago.”

Bruce looked at her, ready to offer condolences, but also confused as to why she was telling him this.

“Hush, no talking.” Bruce turned his eyes back to the ceiling. “I was 11. There was a fire that night. No one woke up in time. I was at a friends house for a sleepover. I thought… I thought that it was somehow my fault. My fault for a fire I was nowhere near, my fault that my whole family was dead. For nearly a whole year, I lived with my grandparents. And for nearly a whole year, I tortured myself. I hated myself. I wanted to die, to join my family. I couldn’t handle living. I would hallucinate, have vivid dreams. And eventually, I reached the point where I wanted to give up. Then all of a sudden, I couldn’t. I just couldn’t give up. So I decided to try something different. Instead of fighting the dreams and nightmares and hallucinations, I would work with them. I laid on my bed and I went into my head. I let my monsters overtake me. And I talked to them. I worked out my problems and we came to an agreement. It helped me move on. 

“Your monster is not mental, but I want you to try it. Close your eyes and let yourself find the Hulks cage. Let him out, talk to him, find out what you’re so scared of. They say communication is what holds a relationship together. So try it, try talking to the Hulk, Bruce.”

Bruce finally turned to look at her after her story. She looked deadly serious, so he sighed and closed his eyes. 

Dakota watched as he resigned and closed his eyes. Standing, she grabbed the pizza box and the trash and put everything away. She then finished cleaning up the gym before returning to where Bruce was still laying on the couch. She pulled out her book and started reading.

\---Time Skip---

It was about 90 minutes later when Bruce finally came round. Kody looked up as he stirred. She smiled and put her book away. Bruce sat up, but he looked much more relaxed.

“Better?” Bruce looked around at the noise. He smiled.

“Much better. We, uh, came to a consensus.”

“Good, now, why don’t you head home.” Kody smiled at him. 

“Yeah, I’ll do that. I’ll see you around Kody.” Bruce started to walk away.

“You’re welcome back anytime Bruce. Keep talking to Hulk, I recommend once a week.” Dakota called out after him. The only acknowledgment that he had heard her was the thumbs up he threw her over his shoulder.


	3. (Uncle) Bruce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Dudes! I promised another chapter, and I have delivered! This chapter is also a little on the shorter side, just under 1000 words, but it transitions to the next chapter. So, here we go!

Everyone noticed the change in Dr. Bruce Banner. As he walked the halls of the tower, as he talked to people, even as he worked. He was happier, calmer, less nervous around people. The Avengers were confused. This change literally happened overnight. A few people thought he had been replaced, but that was quickly shot down when FRIDAY did a scan confirming who it was.

It was five weeks later that pushed the confusion over the top. Tony Stark was wandering the labs looking for his science buddy, but he was having no luck in finding Bruce. He finally gave up and asked FRIDAY where he was. Hidden in a lab, maybe. Talking to some interns or scientists, likely. Not even in the tower, possible. But in the Hulk chamber, not a chance. So Tony was rushing to the rooms observance chamber to see what was wrong with his friend.

Nothing. Nothing was wrong. Bruce was just sitting there. It looked like he was meditating. Tony was just even more confused. What in the name of all things science was going on!? Tony leaped back when he saw it. In the blink of an eye, it was no longer Bruce. It was Hulk. Then it was Bruce again. Tony blinked. What. Happened? Before he could really think on it, Tony was distracted by Bruce. Who was jumping in the air and… cheering? Bruce checked his watch, then smiled and ran out of the room. Tony was too stunned to realize he should probably follow his science buddy. Realizing that Bruce was long gone, he resolved to question him at dinner.

Bruce POV

Bruce has never felt so good. Not even before the accident that gave him the Hulk. Dakota had worked a miracle. He laughed at that. Him, Bruce Banner, getting therapy from a 16-year-old ninja teacher. Bruce had been going back to that gym in the afternoons to talk to Kody. As far as anyone knew, he now had a niece. That had been a day.

_*flashback*_

_Bruce had been watching the gymnasts work and sparing glances to watch the little 5-9 year-olds running back and forth, jumping over obstacles in their way. He laughed at the thought of the Avengers doing the same thing. Maybe he could introduce them to Kody, that would be something! The Earth’s Mightiest Heroes being run like racehorses by a teenager. He laughed out loud at that. Kody glanced at him curiously, eyebrow raised. He shook his head at her and she turned back to her kids, calling for a water break. After the kids had gotten water from their parents and run back to the floor, one of the moms turned to him._   
_“Which one’s your’s?” she asked._

_Bruce looked startled by the question. After it had processed in his brain, his hand went up and pointed at Dakota. The mom looked a little startled. Before his brain could formulate an explanation, his mouth started talking._

_“She’s my niece.” Stupid mouth._

_The mom smiled at him. “That’s cool. She’s such a wonderful teacher. My kid, Wes, loves her.”_

_“She is something else.” Bruce agreed, smiling. Neither noticed the subject’s smile. Or the mischief in her eyes._

_After class, the kids were all lining up for stamps as their moms gathered shoes and purses. Kody gave her kids some goodbye hugs and sent them off, before calling in her next class. They sat down in a circle to start and Bruce heard:_

_“Guys, say hello to my Uncle Bruce!” Dakota told her ninjas._

_Calls of “hey, Mr. Bruce.” “Hello.” and “Hi, Mister!” rang out from the kids. He looked at Dakota and she smiled back at him. When she turned back to her kids, Bruce realized that he had broken out into a huge smile. He waved back at some of the kids still looking at him._

_*flashback end*_

Since then, Kody wouldn’t call him anything other than Uncle Bruce. And her ninjas would always call him Mr. Bruce. He didn’t even bother to correct them to Dr. Bruce or Dr. Banner like he would for anyone else. It made him happy that these kids didn’t care for his seven PhDs or the fact that he was the Hulk. They knew the last one but mostly didn’t care. They only brought it up when one would wear an Avengers shirt. Look, Mr. Bruce, It’s you! They only cared about Mr. Bruce, their coach’s uncle. The nice guy who could swing by the gym to say hi. Truth be told, Bruce loved the attention.

He had also made progress with Hulk. Once a week, he would meditate and talk to Hulk. They had come to an understanding. And after three weeks, Dakota had suggested working with Hulk to make the transformation back and forth smoother and more immediate. The next few days had found Bruce spending a lot of time meditating in the Hulk Containment Unit. Finally, after two weeks, he had done it. He had successfully transformed into the Hulk and back on command. Checking his watch, he realized he could make it before work started. He needed to tell Kody! He ran out and booked it down to the gym. Out of breath and sweating profusely, the grinning Bruce waved to the kids assembled. They jumped up and started high-fiving him and saying hello. Kody walked over and called for the class to start.

“Hey, Uncle Bruce.”

“I did it.” was all he could say.

Her eyes lit up in understanding. “Perfect. That’s awesome, Bruce. You’ve got to keep working, but this is amazing.” She stopped her ramble and promised to talk after class.


	4. Not-so-secret Niece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey-o. I'm back. I've got another chapter for y'all. This is really where the story starts to pick up, but it's still moving a little slowly. I do have the entire story typed out and ready for posting, so I've started the one-shots that go with this book. Do you guys want me to start posting as soon as I've gotten to the part of the story they fit into, so like, now? Or do you want me to finish the book first? Up to you guys. Also, there is a photo of my cousin on Wattpad, where this story is also posted. If you want to go check it out, she is who I based Dakota off of. Back glasses, the hair, etc. Anyway, on to the chapter.

It was several months later that the Avengers were needed again. Some villain in New York, with alien tech. The usual.

Steve Rogers was calling everyone together, getting them suited up and moving out. He turned to Bruce and opened his mouth, ready to give him his usual assignment.

"I'm coming," Bruce said before Captain America could say anything,

"What?" The Captain was stunned for a minute. "No. Bruce, you're on comms, we don't need the Hulk. Not a Code Green."

"I'm coming," Bruce said again walking away with the others. Steve was confused.

"You heard him Capsicle, he's coming," Tony said, walking up behind Steve and clapping him on the shoulder.

\---Time Skip---

Let's just say the entire team was super confused when Bruce instantly turned into Hulk and got to work. Hulk was even being cautious of the destruction he was causing.

They were nearing the end of the battle, they had the villain in a holding unit, but he wasn't done. The villain - we'll call him Fred - Fred smiled that smile that only villains can and pressed something on his wrist. The Avengers watched in horror as a grenade launched itself into the air towards a cluster of office buildings. Office buildings with people, people who hadn't evacuated because the fight didn't reach that far.

But Bruce was already on it. He, or rather the Hulk, started running, the Avengers giving chase after a second. Because Bruce had seen the direction of the grenade. Bruce knew what was in that direction, and neither he nor the Hulk liked that. With a roar, Hulk gave a final leap and grabbed the grenade from the air and crushed it before it went off. (yes I know that's not how it works, but bear with me) He skidded to a halt, breathing heavily, right by the gym he had been secretly visiting for months.

As the Avengers arrived, they saw the Hulk squatting in front of a building, looking curiously - and worriedly - at it. They watched as several kids poured out and ran up to Hulk. Their words mixed together until it was just noise. They all seemed to take a breath as one before starting over.

"Thank you, Mr. Hulk."

"Yeah, thanks."

"You saved us!"

"Hug attack!"

The Avengers cried out as the kids ran forward to hug the Hulk. But nothing happened. The Avengers looked shocked. The Hulk, big green and angry, was smiling. What. Then came what would be the most shocking part of the day. Hulk looked down at kids and then at the teenager that had come out of the building. She was tall, with golden-blonde hair shaved except for the top, which was pulled into a small ponytail (Think into the Spider-verse Gwen Stacy, only shorter and shaved all the way around.) She looked up at Hulk with a smile on her face. Hulk smiled back.

"Hulk... do... good?" He grunted. The Avengers blinked. So did she. Then she broke into an even bigger grin.

"Hulk did great. Hulk saved us. Thank you."

Hulk frowned. "Bruce... n-ne-need... hug... too." Was all he said before shrinking and becoming Bruce Banner. This caused the kids to get even more excited.

Cries of:

"Mr. Bruce!"

"Hey, Mr. Bruce."

"Thank you!"

Were heard as the kids swarmed the man and hugged him. The girl looked amused.

"And what is so funny?" Bruce asked, "You just almost died!"

"And you saved us. But now you can't even save yourself from a swarm of ninjas."

Bruce waded his way through the kids to the girl and swept her into a hug. "I'm glad you're okay, Dakota."

"Me too, Uncle Bruce."

Now the Avengers were really confused. Since when did Bruce have a niece?


	5. Can We Keep Her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey-o. I'm back with a new chapter. Here is where the story picks up some more. 
> 
> This is a PeterXDakota fic, for those wondering. Their relationship will start off slow and friendly. They'll meet soon, don't worry.
> 
> Thank's for sticking it out for five chapters! Again I'm going to ask, do you want me to start posting my one-shots as they appear in this story, or do you want me to post them when this book is done? Just let me know, please. 
> 
> See you on the next page. :)

They were sitting in silence. They had all gone back to the tower after taking care of everything. And now they were sitting in silence, staring at the girl - Dakota - who apparently was Bruce's niece.

"Every time there's an awkward silence, a smiling baby dolphin dies." Everyone stared at Dakota, who looked on innocently. The silence became even more awkward as everyone tried to process what the heck was just said. It was broken when Clint suddenly laughed. Before long he, Bruce, Bucky, and Wanda were all on the floor laughing. Dakota looked very smug and Steve, Tony, Sam, Rhody, and Natasha were all looking on confused. Finally, Clint managed to roll himself to standing. With tears in his eyes, he reached his hand out.

"Hey, I'm Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye. I like you." Dakota grinned and took his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Dakota States, but people usually call me Kody. I'm 16, I enjoy dancing, writing, reading, and making people question their existence."

Clint grinned back at her, then turned to Bruce. "Where did you find her, I want one."

Bruce laughed. Steve, Tony, and the others finally came out of their stupor. "Um. Bruce, I thought she was your niece?"

"It's an adoptive relationship." They said at the same time.

"I'm also his therapist." The Avengers blinked at that.

"You have a therapist?" Tony asked.

"Yup."

"She didn't run away screaming?"

"Nope."

"Cool." Tony paused, "Can I get one?"

Kody laughed. "Schedule an appointment tin can."

\---Time Skip---

Kody ended up visiting the Tower several times over the next few weeks. It took some of them time to warm up to her, but eventually, they all came around. They would play games, talk, hair club, train, bake, and ask about school. But they never asked about family, or where she lived, or where she stayed. Until...

"Hey kid," Steve asked, "Where do you stay? Because according to, well... you, you don't have any living family." He trailed off awkwardly.

Kody took it in stride, "At a friend house usually. I switch on and off."

The rest of the Avengers stopped what they were doing.

"You mean to tell us," Bucky said slowly, "That you don't have a home?"

"Not a permanent one, no."

"You're moving in," Tony said. "Saturday. Gather up your stuff. You have two days. Understood?"

Dakota blinked. Then broke into a grin. "Yes, sir!" She mock saluted, but she was touched that they wanted her here.

\---Time Skip---

It was a week later, Kody had officially moved into the tower, and she loved it.

Arriving at the tower after school, FRIDAY let her up to the penthouse. She said hello to everyone, and ran upstairs to her room to drop everything off. When she came back down, she expected to see her new family waiting. What she did not expect was to see two new people.

"Dakota, Thor's brother, Loki - " Clint started.

" - God of Mischief. Yeah." Dakota finished for him. "Nice to meet you."

Loki nodded in her direction. She did the same, mimicking his stance and the expression on his face. Loki snorted.

She nodded. They all just kinda stood there looking at each other.

"School was good?" Steve finally asked, trying to break the strangeness in the air.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, it was. Tests and stuff..." She trailed off and the room dissolved back into silence. Dakota spoke up again.

"Every time there's an awkward silence, a smiling baby dolphin dies." Kody deadpanned. Loki snorted again. He looked at her and smirked - smiled? - and nodded.

"I like you." Was all he said before teleporting away. The others were giggling now. Before anyone could say anything, FRIDAY spoke up.

"Sir, KAREN has alerted me that Mr. Parker is in distress. Causes unknown."

Tony jumped up. "Send the locations to my suit." He ran out of the room as armor formed around him.

Kody spoke up again, "Who is Mr. Parker?"

"Tony's intern. Or son depends on who you ask." Bruce responded.

"Cool."


	6. Cookies and Spider-man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! ENDGAME IS OUT!! AND I'M GOING TO GO SEE IT!!!!! SOON!!!! I promise no spoilers. Here is a chapter in celebration. 
> 
> Peter and Dakota meet. 
> 
> Cookies.
> 
> It's good.

They were watching a movie when Tony got back. He looked ragged. Someone paused the movie as everyone turned around to look at him, expecting answers. 

“How is he?”  
“What happened?”  
“He okay?”

Tony held up his hand to silence everyone. “Physically, he’s fine. Emotionally, mentally? Not quite.” He paused. “His aunt kick him out. Said some pretty nasty things. He’s upstairs sleeping. Kody,” Tony looked at her, “Well, this goes for everyone, what do you think about him moving in? Would you mind sharing the tower with another kid?”

Sounds of agreements were made. They looked at Dakota.

“I already share the tower with a bunch of children, what’s one more?” Everyone laughed at that. 

\---Time Skip---

Peter POV

He didn’t know where he was. Then he remembered. He was at the tower. Mr. Stark brought him here, after… He didn’t want to think about that. What he did want to think about was the hunger pains in his stomach. That was something he could remedy. 

“FRIDAY what time is it?” He asked.

“It is currently 2:51 am Mr. Parker.”

“Thanks, FRI.” Peter got up and started walking towards the kitchen. He didn’t realize that he had switched to the ceiling in his sleepy state until he was in the kitchen. But at that point, he didn’t care. Except he wasn’t the only one in the kitchen. Which he figured out when he collided head first with a girl standing on a chair. 

 

Dakota POV

Kody woke up hungry. Rolling over and groaning, she looked at the clock. 2:47. Nice. This was exactly when she wanted to wake up. At three in the morning. Sighing to herself, she rolled out of bed. Might as well grab a snack. Walking into the kitchen, Kody realized that the cookies Bucky had made were too high for her to easily reach. So she dragged a chair over. She almost had them when something smacked her head. Stifling a cry, she spun the best she could without falling. Mere inches from her face was a boy, upside down on the ceiling. They blinked at each other for a minute before the boy spoke.

“Cookies?” Dakota handed him the plate and he maneuvered himself to the countertop and set the plate down. Kody joined him at the counter with the milk. They ate the cookies through in silence, a single light casting the room in shadows. Kody swallowed a bite of cookie.

“You’re Peter?”

“Yup.”

“Spiderman?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Dakota.”

“Cool.”

“Night.”

“Goodnight”

And just like that, they went their separate ways to bed, neither questioning what had just happened.


	7. Battleships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back. I'm emotionally scarred. I watched Endgame. No spoilers, I promise. But I've started writing a few theories and one-shots. I'll wait until the end of May before I post anything. Anyway! Here is a new chapter to help cope with Endgame feels. This one is a bit longer. Peter's and Dakota's relationship starts picking up. Also, the song is Battleships by Daughtry. I'm also going to start posting my one-shot book that is a companion to this one. So... on to it.

The next morning was not quite as awkward as one would expect it to be. Most of the team was already awake by eight. Some (Tony and Bucky) were nursing a cup of coffee. Others (Steve, Natasha, and Sam) were down training. And the rest were eating breakfast or wandering around. Kody and Peter walked in at the same time, both exhausted because of their interrupted sleep the night (morning?) before. They sat at the counter as Rhodey put plates of food in front of them. Dakota gave a tired thumbs up and dug in, while Pete grunted his thanks and started inhaling the food.

“Anything planned today kids?” Rhodey asked, being the only really awake one in the room.

“Not really, “ Dakota said. “Was just going to read. Maybe walk around a little.”

“Pete? Anything?”

“Nope.” Was all he could manage.

“I have an idea, why don’t you two go shopping. Grab some new clothes, get some trinkets for your room, some new books Kody, or some science stuff Pete. And you can get to know each other.”

Pete and Kody looked at each other and shrugged. Why not?

\---Time Skip---

Both Kody and Peter had a black card, a passion, and a bottomless pit for a stomach. Shopping had turned out good. They had gotten a few trinkets for their rooms. Pete more than Kody. They had some stuff for personalizing their rooms, a project that would have to wait a week or two with school. Pete, after much persuasion (read: threatening) from Dakota, had purchased some new science books, a few magazine subscriptions, and a few lab tools and kits. Kody had gotten a few new bookshelves to span a wall of her room (they were going to be delivered, in fact, everything was.), lots of books, and some stuff for a dance studio. They each loaded up on clothes because they could, though as their own little rebellion, they had shopped at Goodwill and other thrift stores. TBH, they were a lot more fun to shop in.

At lunch, they had gotten to know each other over burgers and potato chips at Standard Burger. **(real place - it’s in Brooklyn)** Dakota learned that Peter actually didn’t like spiders, despite being Spider-man. And neither of them decided to question when Kody had learned that particular fact, they just went with it. She learned that he liked science and that he was actually as smart as, if not smarter, then Tony and Bruce, and his favorite movie (other than Star Wars) was How To Train Your Dragon. Peter learned that HTTYD was also Kody’s favorite movie, she loved to dance and was captain of the dance team at school, she wanted to teach when she was older, and she had to redo a grade when she was younger due to family problems. They concluded that the whole family dying counted as a problem. They learned that they went to rival schools: Midtown Institute of Technology and Science vs Midtown Academy of Literature and Arts. They both preferred vanilla ice cream with tons of toppings. They both liked musicals. They both preferred hugs and showed emotion through touch and words. And they unanimously agreed that Clint was the Cool Uncle™.

Yeah. The talk got that deep.

 

\---Time Skip---

Neither of them got to set up their stuff from shopping, so it stayed in bags for weeks. Six weeks, in fact. And during that time, the two had hung out more and more. Kody had met Ned. And it was during that sixth week after Peter had moved in that they finally had time to set up their rooms. The Avengers were called out on a mission, and neither had homework.

So they spent their Sunday sorting their things. Trinkets in one corner, furniture in another, books/blankets in another, and all the stuff for the lab and dance studio in another. There were three floors that separated the penthouse from the rest of the building. One was Tony’s lab, the next was the training room, and the last was completely empty. So, because it was divided into two rooms with a hallway passing on one side, Tony had given them permission to turn it into a lab on one side, and a dance studio on the other.

As they lugged the material to the floor, affectionately named the Spider Den, they prepared themselves to work. The walls had already been painted, mirrors and tables put up, and the wall that separated the two rooms had been taken down and replaced with soundproof glass that could darken for extra privacy.

The two spent the rest of the day laughing and dancing and singing along to the music as they set up Peter’s lab and Dakota’s dance studio. They were putting the finishing touches on the dance studio when a particular song came on. Battleships by Daughtry. Kody’s eyes lit up and she ran to the center of the room and took position. Peter watched as she started dancing. Her body moving gracefully from one move to the next and her eyes were alive with a fire that he had never seen before. He realized he had a dopey grin in his face. Dakota motioned for him to come join her, so he did.

Standing next to her, he looked waiting for instruction. She started dancing, making simple movements.

_We’re high then we’re low, first it’s yes then it’s no, And we’re changing like the tides_  
He copied the movement for the next words.  
_Yeah, but I want you, I need you, And I guarantee you we’ll make it out alive_  
Dakota threw her arms in the air, moving them diagonally in front of her.  
_'Cause I don’t wanna fight no more,_  
Peter copied, going in the opposite direction.  
_Even when the waves get rough_  
Kody did the next move.  
_I don’t wanna see the day we say we’ve had enough_  
Peter copied.  
_And I don’t wanna fight this war, Bullets coming off our lips_  
Dakota.  
_But we stick to our guns and we love like battleships._  
Peter.  
_Like battleships._  
Kody.  
_Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom, boom, boom_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom_  
 _And the cannon goes_  
Peter.  
_Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom, boom, boom_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom_  
Kody.  
_And we love, yeah we love_  
Peter.  
_And we love, yeah we love_  
At this point, Peter paused in his dance to watch her.  
_I’m sinking inside_  
 _Can we finally put our weapons down tonight?_  
And he joined in, letting himself move through the movements. Lost in the music, they moved in sync like a cliche movie scene.  
_'Cause I don’t wanna fight no more,_  
 _Even when the waves get rough_  
 _I don’t wanna see the day we say we’ve had enough_  
 _And I don’t wanna fight this war_  
 _Bullets coming off our lips_  
 _But we stick to our guns and we love like battleships._  
 _Like battleships._  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom, boom, boom_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom_  
 _And the cannon goes_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom, boom, boom_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom_  
 _And the cannon goes_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom, boom, boom_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom_  
 _And the cannon goes_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom, boom, boom_  
 _Boom, ba-boom, boom, ba-boom_  
 _And we love like battleships._

With the song over, they both fell to the ground, laughing and out-of-breath. Peter maneuvered his head to look at her. She looked back at him.

“I didn’t think Spider-man danced.”

“I didn’t either.” Peter laughed. “That was fun.”

“You picked it up fast.”

“Thanks.” Peter said, “I’m now going to drop science, switch schools, and take up dance.”

“Do it.”

Before either of them could say anymore, FRIDAY spoke, “Boss says it’s time for dinner, so get your butts up here now.”

“Thanks, FRI.” The teens called at the same time, then jumping up, they ran upstairs.


	8. The Things We Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. Its been forever. But! I had the SAT, AP, and CAASPP testing. I also had prom. And final projects to start. And then I was sick. But I promise I'll be more consistent. While I haven't been posting, I have been writing. So, I'm finishing up this book today. I'm also posting the first few one-shots I have done. So... Here you go.

There were many things that Peter knew. He could recite the periodic table from memory, Star Wars was the greatest movie of all time, and Ned could not be in the presence of the Avengers without freaking out. And he used to know that Michelle "MJ" Jones was the one girl in the whole world that could make him tongue-tied and nervous. He used to know that she was the prettiest girl around. He used to know that he liked the way she would call them losers and act like she didn't care. Peter Benjamin Parker used to know all this, now, he wasn't so sure.

Now he would see MJ and it was like nothing. Nothing happened. No butterflies, no stuttering, no nothing.

So Tuesday lunch found him sitting in the back of the library with Ned having a debate with himself and Ned. And himself was being very annoying. It went something like this.

_(Italics is Peter's brain)_

Peter: I don't know Ned, I don't think I like her anymore. It's just like overnight, POOF, crush gone.

Ned: Sorry man, I don't know what to say. Is there someone else you like now?

Peter: Not that I know of. It's really confusing.

_Peter's Brain: *images of the last Sunday play in his mind, Dakota's smile and laughter as she accepts his hand after tripping over her own feet. The light in her eyes as she sings along to a song. Dancing to Battleships.*_

Peter: ...

Ned: There totally is! Who is she? Do I know her?

Peter: I don't know. I just don't know, do I like her? I didn't, but now I do? She just...

_Peter's Brain: Is the most amazing person you've met. She talks to you. She understands you. She is easy to approach, doesn't care if you mess up, she loves to laugh, and she handles your stupidity. Her laugh, her smile, her eyes, her everything._

Peter: MJ does those things too!

_Peter's Brain: Does she?_

Peter: YES!

_Peter's Brain: When?_

Peter: ...

_Peter's Brain: MJ doesn't care. She puts on a mask, she isn't a talking or hugging person, she calls you loser..._

Peter: It's an endearing nickname.

_Peter's Brain: For you? Or for everyone? Besides, does it feel good when someone calls you a loser? You barely know anything about her._

Peter: ...

Peter: Ned. I think I'm over MJ.

Ned: Cool. I think we established that. Now, who is this mystery girl?

Peter sighed. "Ned, I think I like Dakota."

"Dakota?"

"Yup. But she doesn't like me back."

"Have you asked her?"

"Well... no."

"So, how do you know?" Ned asked eyebrow raised. "Ask her on a date. And if it flops, she is the last person it would become awkward with."

Peter sighed and as he was falling asleep that night, he realized that he knew a few things. He could recite the periodic table from memory, Star Wars was the greatest movie of all time, and Ned could not be in the presence of the Avengers without freaking out. And he knew that he had fallen irreversibly, inevitably, and unconditionally in love with Dakota States.

\---Line Break---

Dakota knew that she liked Peter. He was cute, funny, loved to laugh, and didn't judge her past or her interests. But as she thought more about him, she realized that she knew a few things. She could list every song Jon Bon Jovi had ever written. She knew that Ivy should never be left in the same room as Avery and Grant. She knew that Carl and Ellie were the cutest movie couple ever. And she knew that she had fallen irreversibly, inevitably, and unconditionally in love with Peter Parker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the chapter. Now, before people start getting on my case about MJ - let me explain. I know I kinda turned her into the villain here, but I promise she isn't. I will not be pairing her with Peter, but I will try and give her a role in future one-shots and stories. I do like her, just not for this story. Sorry if you don't like it, that's how it's gonna be. 
> 
> See you on the next page.


	9. To Sum It All Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Here is the last little bit. I find it easier to write one-shots instead of dragging this out for 50 chapters. So, here is a brief synopsis of the rest of the AU. Then you can go check out my one-shot companion book.

The rest of sophomore year had passed rather quickly. Peter and Dakota got together, Peter had unofficially joined the Midtown Arts Dance Team, Thor and Jane had grown close to and adopted Kody that Christmas, Tony and Pepper got married and adopted Peter (also at Christmas), the Dance Team had figured out that Peter was Spider-man, etc.

The summer was spent hanging out, making out, pranks, and movie marathons. They went to (read: Rented) the beach several times. Sleepovers, pranks, and saving the world.

Junior year was fun. It was mostly a normal year. Peter and Dakota were still going out. Thor and Jane were pregnant (twin boys). Dance team continued. All good stuff.

The summer between Junior and Senior year hit them hard with Infinity War. To recover, they all decided on a vacation to Asgard. Dakota wanted to be near her parents (and Uncle Loki), Peter wanted to be with Dakota, Tony and Pepper wanted to be with Peter, and no one really wanted to be away from anyone else. So they were taking a two-month vacation to Asgard to take a break from Earth and hang out with each other and with Thor and Jane's boys, Lodin and Luka. (Everyone includes Clint's family, Scott and Cassie, and Shuri and T'challa) But when two months were up, they realized that time was moving differently and it had only been a few days back on earth, so they prolonged their stay, keeping an eye on earth time.

One month (Earth time) later, Clint and his family, Scott and Cassie, and the Wakandians headed home. The rest stayed. At the end of that month, it had been a year in Asgard time. So they celebrated birthdays. Peter had come up on his second birthday, making him 19. Koday was 20 and would be 21 in Asgardian March. A few weeks after his birthday, Peter (with permission) proposed to Dakota. She said yes. They were married on February 23. All of the Dance Team and Ned came up for the wedding. They stayed a week when they got home they had been gone less than 24 hours. Dakota celebrated her 21st birthday. A few days later, she got sick. Pepper was also sick. Bucky got worried and made them go to Bruce to check them out. First, they visited earth to grab some stuff. Then they went to Bruce to confirm that they were both pregnant. Tony fainted. So did Peter. Then they had a long talk about the future.

When everyone returned home to earth, they celebrated Peters 20th birthday. Peter went back to school with Ned. Dakota stayed home and finished school online. Morgan Veronica Stark was born on August 23rd to Tony and Pepper Stark. Two weeks later, Alyeska Anansi Stark was born on September 6th to Peter and Dakota Stark.

Peter would grow up and take over the tech part of the company from Tony. Dakota taught dance and English at Midtown Art once the last of their 5 children had turned 10. She taught there until she retired at age 67. She lived for 40 more years on Asgard with her husband and parents, popping down for visits, until she and Peter died in their sleep together at age 107 and 106.

The company stayed in the family forever. Passing from Morgan (CEO) to Alyeska's youngest son and on and on and on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end folks. Well, mostly. I've started posting a one-shot book of parts missing from this book. Mostly from ch. 9. These are parts I couldn't fit in, so they're going to be one-shots. I've also started a few other things I hope to get up soon.
> 
> If you have any suggestions or want to request a scene you didn't get to see, let me know. I'll probably write it!
> 
> I'll see you dudes on the next page.
> 
> Peace out!


End file.
